Solar Panel Cleaning Safety Consulting

Solar Panel installation types vary significantly and each one has its own unique safety risks. Accessibility is one of the challenging aspects of solar panel cleaning and especially in the rooftop and floating segments. However what about the electrical risks? Solar panel cleaners rarely turn off a system to clean and water is a conductor. DC connectors are often loose, inaccurately installed or corroded.

Source – https://www.slocable.com.cn/news/the-consequences-of-ignoring-the-quality-of-solar-mc4-connectors-are-disastrous

With the continuous development of the internal photovoltaic market, the demand for PV junction boxes connectors continues to grow. However, because of the low-cost ratio and the “inconspicuous” function, the quality of junction boxes and connectors has been replaced, resulting in frequent failures and accidents of solar photovoltaic power generation and systems. The problems with connectors have gradually revealed, so buyers and manufacturers have begun to realize the importance of product quality. Accidents caused by junction boxes and connectors account for more than 30%, and junction box diode breakdown accounts for more than even 65% of junction box and connector accidents. Cheng Ziyu, head of TÜV Rheinland Shanghai’s solar component smart junction box business, said that while everyone is focusing on hotspots such as battery technology and module conversion efficiency improvements, they often overlook some small but indispensable solar energy components. Components, resulting in good battery technology and good components can not be used optimally, and even cause harm during use.

According to Dr. Zhimin Ling: “In a traditional string system, modules are arranged in series in an array with a DC high voltage of 600V-1000V. The system runs for many years, and the wire insulation is exposed after corrosion, which is very easy to generate DC arcs and cause fires. When a fire occurs, on the DC side, as long as there is light, there will be high voltage, and firefighters cannot directly put out the fire.”

Connector mixed insertion——the invisible killer of photovoltaic power station safety

        Mutual insertion of connectors between different brands is also a very serious problem in the application of photovoltaic connectors. According to a foreign research report, mixed connector insertion and irregular connector installation ranked the first and third causes of fire.

        There is always a problem in the photovoltaic connector market, that is, the mixed use of various connector products and the inter-plugging of connectors between different brands. This phenomenon is common in the domestic and overseas markets. Most owners and EPC companies know little about the matching of connectors.

“Connectors from different manufacturers have very different manufacturing processes, production standards, and raw materials. Related problems caused by the mutual insertion of the connectors include increased contact resistance, heat generation of the connector, fire on the connector, burnout of the connector, power failure of the string components, failure of the junction box, and leakage of the components, which may cause the system to fail to operate normally. The economic benefits of the power station are thus compromised. If products from the same manufacturer are used, this risk will be controlled within a controllable range. “

        An Chao, the business manager of photovoltaic power plants and systems for TÜV Rheinland Solar Services, emphasized that solar connectors need to pay attention to compatibility issues. This issue has been raised by third-party testing agencies for many years. Therefore, connectors must not be mixed during the installation of photovoltaic power plants. In this regard, the authoritative testing organizations TUV and UL have both issued written statements that they do not support mixed insertion applications of connectors of different brands. In Australia, the government has written the requirements for power station construction to use connectors from the same manufacturer in the regulations to avoid risks. But in our country, no relevant standards have been issued in the industry.